This is a strong 3.5/5. Not all of this worked for me but it's bold and uncompromising and trippy as hell and I can't fault it much for not always reaching the levels it aspires to. I wish more films would take the risks this one does. I only see this going up on a re-watch.

No, it's not as bad as you may have heard so far. The film has some fantastic action set pieces and truly great moments. I enjoyed most of the film but it is hampered by a clunky, overstuffed narrative that may prove to be hard to follow for the casual fan. There are a number of disjointed ideas that really don't work but they didn't seem to hinder my enjoyment very much. To be honest though, I think you pretty…

I am struggling to reconcile my feelings on this new space epic from director Ridley Scott. What we have in The Martian is a competently filmed and acted sci-fi flick. What we do not have is a film that attempts to push any boundaries, or challenge any preconceived notions of what the best of the genre has to offer. It is as if The Martian is content to merely exist rather than reach for any higher aspirations. The bumpy trajectory…